Father?s day is coming up, and if your family is anything like
mine, they?re so stumped on what to get you that they?ll just flat
out ask you want. Of course, when anyone asks me that
question my mind immediately goes to things like a custom fit
replica stormtrooper costume, or a solo trip to Vegas with
nothing but a suitcase full of pharmaceuticals and someone
else?s credit card.
But as far as practical gifts go, I?m usually stumped when I?m put
on the spot. So here?s my cheat list of the Top 5 tech gifts for
dads, that you can just forward along to your family.
Starting off at #5: the Belkin Ultimate Keyboard case. $99 gets
you the best Bluetooth keyboard solution we?ve seen yet for the
iPad. It works with every iPad model except for the first one, and
unlike a lot of the keyboard cases out there, this one protects
both the front and back of the iPad, making the whole thing look
like some boutique spy computer.
If you?ve ever caught dad cursing at the iPad?s touch screen
keyboard, this one?s a no-brainer.
At #4: the Samsung Galaxy S4. If dad?s a smartphone geek, why
not treat him to Samsung?s latest flagship Android phone. You
can pick it up on every major carrier and dad will feel like he?s on
the cutting edge for the rest of the year. Big screen, some great
camera features, and some serious bragging rights.
#3 is a little bit selfish: the Panasonic Lumix DMC FZ200. If dad?s
a shutterbug, chances are he?s taking photos of you. My Flickr
collection looks like a photo essay of a lovely widow and her
child, because I?m always the one behind the lens. So if YOU
want to look better in dad?s photos, dropping $500 on this digital
camera will do the trick.
At #2: the Microsoft Surface Pro. This laptop/tablet hybrid is the
coolest thing to come from Microsoft since the Xbox 360. Even if
dad?s stuck in the past when it comes to Windows, this gives him
a safe little sandbox to play around in without tampering with his
precious home PC.
Plenty of power. Full Windows 8 experience. Spring for the
keyboard cover to watch him really geek out.
Finally, at #1, you know dad?s favorite gadget -- the TV. The
Panasonic TC-P55ST60 is fresh out of the factory and already
climbing the ranks as one of CNET?s best overall TVs. Picture
quality is beautiful, thanks to that plasma display which has
thinned down a lot since the plasmas of yesteryear. Not a bad
price for what you get either, with the 50-inch model coming in at
around $1,300.
So there you have it, five gifts that are sure to make dad happy
he didn?t change his identity and run off to Vegas.
For our full list of tech gifts for dad, head over to CNET.com
I?m Donald Bell, thanks for watching.
